Believe it or not, just recently I think I saw Sasha Cohen (now Alex) at the Highway Diner in East Hampton, New York. I live in the area and was surprised to see her. At first, she walked by my table of five (my spouse and three kids) and with the cold weather and all, I could still see it was Sasha under the coat, hat and scarf but I was not sure whether it was truly her. Later, I went to the rest room which gave me a few more opps to steal a couple of glances and a good stare (I swear, she did not notice). I walked away convinced it was her. She was there with another person; they held hands. I did not bother her because as a native New Yorker, you just don't do that to celebrities plus, I get the feeling with her new direction and all, that she probably wants to start anew and wasn't sure she would have wanted a figure skating fan gushing about her skating skills and accomplishments - so I left, disappointed.

There were probably other articles about Sasha when she started Columbia. IMO, she is showing her brains by preparing for a life off of the ice; there aren't enough shows to keep her employed for any length of time.

I'm not surprised Sasha Cohen doesn't get recognized outside a rink, even if she is a very well known champion. It's just that people are used to see her with her competitive outift and hair do + make up, on TV wich makes the figure looks a particular way. In real life she is dressed differently (fortunately), her hair may be lose... So I'm not sure I would actually recognize her.

Kwan wasn't trying to become a serious student at an Ivy League school.

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To clarify, Cohen is enrolled in a sort of extension program at Columbia. It's not the regular university (meaning, it doesn't have the same rigorous admission requirements--pretty much anyone who wants to can enroll in it). You go at whatever pace you want, and you don't have the same academic requirements expected of you. It's what people do who would not be eligible for admission into the regular program.

I don't know where Kwan applied to, but she was enrolled/attended the regular degree program--not an extension program.

To clarify, Cohen is enrolled in a sort of extension program at Columbia. It's not the regular university (meaning, it doesn't have the same rigorous admission requirements--pretty much anyone who wants to can enroll in it). You go at whatever pace you want, and you don't have the same academic requirements expected of you. It's what people do who would not be eligible for admission into the regular program.

I don't know where Kwan applied to, but she was enrolled/attended the regular degree program--not an extension program.

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This may be true from what I've read about that Columbia program catering to adults. It sounds uppity anyway, and I'm sure people take the same classes as Columbia undergraduates. She is taking interesting coursework, as I'm sure Kwan also did but in a less snooty environment.

I just made that barb about Ivy League because I sense that some people assume Kwan is way smarter than Cohen, but there is no reason to believe this. They are both clever ladies.